Bruce Boudreau looking for answers

(By Shaun Best - Reuters)

The Caps' Game 6 loss to Montreal was, obviously, a bit frustrating. Players were frustrated, fans were frustrated, coaches were frustrated. Included in that list would be Bruce Boudreau, the head man, whose post-game address to the media was not the friendliest of his life.

Now, it goes without saying that some of these questions are asked less out of curiosity and more to get soundbites for TV and print and Internet. That's the game, and we all play it just about every day.

I actually thought that Boudreau might play a different card, shucking off the tension that's been hovering the last few days with jokes and "nothing left to lose" rhetoric. Not so much. A selection:

I saw Mike Green look up at the ceiling a couple times tonight, do you feel like maybe some of your top players are just getting frustrated by Halak?

"Well, if you've ever played, it's frustrating. When you're getting great chances and you're not scoring, it's a frustrating situation."

How do you stop that frustration before game 7, how do you convince them not to carry that into another game?

"I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine."...

Do you feel any more ready for this game 7 than the last 3-3 series?

"Well, the last four series right now think we've been to game 7, so this is our fifth series, or fourth, whatever.

"I don't know how to answer that. I mean, am I any more ready? We're gonna be as ready, we've been through it. I mean, how do I answer it? Help me out here. How do you answer that question? What do you do to get more ready? You don't know."

I'm pretty sure FanHouse's A.J. Perez asked that particular question. I'm also pretty sure I'm glad that A.J. Perez's job does not require him to get the Caps more ready for game 7.

In any case, Alex Ovechkin seemed more confused than disturbed in his post-game chat with CSN's Lisa Hillary

"Every year we make goalie feel unbelievable," he said. "Like, we play against Philly, Biron was good. [Henrik] Lundquist was good [for the Rangers]. This year we just make Halak feel good. But it's always about this team, and we find a way to break it and win it. No panic. It's just [one] game."

And Mike Knuble threw the frustration thing out completely.

"There can't be any frustration in our game," Knuble told reporters. "No matter what's happened with the power play, we did a lot of good things on it, and it'll pay off, and we all believe that. We keep getting pucks on the net, it'll pay off. We all believe that. We've scored a lot of goals, and we know how goals are scored."

And there it is. Words of wisdom from a man whose teams consistently are not ready for big games. How many times do Bruce's teams fall behind by multiple goals? How many times are his teams simply not ready for BIG games? Not ready to answer when the bell rings? When the first puck drops? ANd Bruce asks a REPORTER for a BLOG: "What do you do to get more ready?"

You get a new coach. That's what you do, Ted. Be happy; I know you can do it.

Ok, they played a really good game. 54 shots on goal is a good game! Knuble is right, they did a lot of good things right. I'm as confounded as Bruce is, it doesn't mean we need to hit the panic button and call for a new coach. The caps played a good game tonight. The unfortunate part is that Halak played better, and he just happens to be the one that matters most.

Is it me or is Boudreau not cut out to be a playoff coach? A playoff coach needs to be the calm in the storm, not a stammering buffoon taking out his frustration on bloggers. Interesting to see what Teddy boy does if Boudreau loses a third Game 7 on home ice....

yeah it sounds like Hanlon just before he was let go and right after he won the Presidents Cup, was the fastest to each coaching milestone in the history of the club and won several division titles. Oh wait he never did any of that stuff that Coach B has done. Hmmm, maybe thats why he got fired you ninny.

Yo everyone stop complaining about Bruce> we do this with everything that wrong with DC sports. We complained abotu Campbell cause of him no twinning , we complained about the Wiz Eddie Jordan. You know at some point it doesnt fall on the coach it falls on the players. They cant give up 2 goals in the 1st ten minutes again. That what it comes down to. If they can avoid that they will be fine . Halak not invisable Halak has given up 11 goals in like 20 shot this series , so just because he played will last two gamea means notiing . Look at Colorado"s goalie what was it lie 56 shots no goals and Colorado lost there series so lets wait before the world ends.They are getting shots , if theywherent gettign chance you can complain but there pressing away . Bruce is a great coach and who would you replace him with because got alot of complainers but have no solution then to who can coach this team. Said before its Time for the Players to Execute. there style is going sweep series or win in 5 games. like it or not we will see more game 7's if they advance

I'm not worried. A majority of the naysayers are dumkaufs who just discovered the internet and are posting like chickens with their heads cut off. I'd like to see Theo back in net though...and a few goals from my boys Semin and Green. Maybe Ovi could pitch in too. =) The naysayers can continue to whine and complain. That's how THEY live their lives. Their negativity is draining. Just pat them on their head and give them a lollipop. It'll keep their hands, mouths, and their tiny brains busy. C'mon, Caps, wake up! Goo, Caps!

Caps lose, team appears in choke mode, and the team shuts down the message board on its website. Coincidence? Or is the team trying to prevent criticism from fans. If so, That is a very Snyder-like thing to do.........

You can't deny that we fall behind early. You can't deny we can't put away teams. Just like you can't deny that we don't have a defensive system. We appear to lose every fight for the puck, particularly when we are pressured in our own zone. We have been outhustled in every game. We play with "a sense of urgency" only in the latter part of the third period, when we're behind.
So, is it Coach BB's 'system' that's not playoff-effective, or is it because he just hasn't been given the horses to play a different system? You cannot go into the playoffs thinking that your team is just going to outscore the other team.
IMHO, all this points to GMGM not emphasizing defense.

By reading your comments, you guys are way more lucid than us, habs fan, in the defeat.

One thing's sure: we are all happy that Washington's staff and players want to play the same way in game 7. That's exactly what got them to lose: no time, no space to shoot quality shots. Despite the 54 shots on goal, Canadiens played a strong game yesterday, but Halak played even better.